The true cost of your shoes: Roccamore vs. Asos

Ever wondered why some shoes cost less than others? What is the difference between Asos and roccamore shoes? Often, we find ourselves in the dilemma of having to choose between buying three pairs of cheap shoes or just one rather expensive pair and while all that prettiness is blinding us, we forget why some shoes are more expensive than others..... so, here's why! 1. Cheap shoes, cheap material The main difference is in the quality of materials. Cheap shoes are usually made from fake leather full of chemicals that won't allow your feet to breathe. Such materials won't adjust to your feet, meaning that the shoe will never be as flexible, soft and comfortable as one made of real, good quality leather. 2. Stretching of the material In the process of shoemaking, the leather needs to go through a stretching process - so eventually, it will be able to adapt to your feet in the best possible way. With cheap shoes, the leather is stretched to maximum volume from the beginning, leaving no space for the shoes to adapt to your feet. Actually, the same piece of leather will make 5 pairs of cheap shoes but only 2 pairs of high quality pairs. 3. Handcrafting is an art Making shoes is an art that is often taught from father to son - until today. At a good factory, you actually need a minimum of 4 years of experience, before you are allowed to cut the leather. Our factory in Tuscany is a small, family-owned business with 3 generations working alongside each other. Silvia here has been working in the factory since she was 11 and is still going strong! ;) 4. Ethical and sustainable While purchasing shoes, you should always look into how the brand treats the resources and the environment. While many people today are creative about how to produce artificial kinds of leather or even vegan leather, most of them are actually hurting the planet even more than actual leather production is today. In the future it will be different, but as long as we eat the amounts of meat, we do today, we have more than enough leather to use for shoes and accessories. In roccamore, we only use leftover cow and calf leathers, byproducts of the meat industry, so no material ever goes to waste. 5. A good fit is key Cheap shoes are produced in massive quantities and the whole process needs to be as fast as possible, so each shoe only gets to stay on their last (the wooden mold) for a couple of hours. The longer shoes stay on a last, the better fit they will have on your foot. To have a good comfort, it's essential that the shoes stay a minimum of 12 hours on the last and preferably more. We allow our roccamore shoes to stay up to 14 hours, to ensure the highest possible comfort and have as many happy feet as possible! roccamore ♥